A Changing Tide
by KeylianEverdark
Summary: A crack-pot theory of what really happened at the Battle of the Twilight Gap.


A Changing Tide

"Artillery, get down!", a commanding voice boomed through the air.

On cue, the artillery shells hit the fort, causing the facility to shudder under the heavy, overwhelming plasma blast.

On the hillside, several squads of Fallen were swarming the base, launching a heavy assault on the outer defenses.

The defenses beyond the main wall were shoddy, not well stocked and among the havoc, the Warlock watched as they continued to pound the wall.

It wasn't going to hold long.

The base was centuries old, not having been used in a ridiculous long time. The base was old and rickety, with rust coating the walls and gaping holes showed where the rust had eaten away the metal.

For the wall to have held this long, was not a small feat by any means.

Just as he said that, the Devils completely overran the outer defenses. Feeling a sudden ripple go up his spine, he raised the scout rifle in his hands to eye level; the red dot sight lining up with his field of view.

He opened fire on the Fallen horde making their way up the hillside. Another artillery shell nailed a hit in the wall, and a sickening screech sounded out.

The wall's foundation gave way under the assault, and collapsed suddenly, the wall slowly falling apart as it fell. Guardians that had been on the wall, jumped off or fell into the wreckage, their deaths coming shortly after.

Other Guardians ran this way and that to their battle positions, opening fire on the Fallen on the mountain - who were quickly approaching the sudden opening in the wall, while the vanguard of the Fallen rushed into the base, Dregs and Vandals of the House of Devils, firing on any moving thing they could see.

Along with him, a squad of Guardians took cover near some cargo crates by the entrance to the base, where the Fallen were now pouring into the base, and began to open fire.

A nearby titan formed a violet shield around them, while another Hunter suddenly caught flame as she used a flaming hand cannon on the Fallen invading the base. The ones who were caught in the fire, suddenly disentegrating from the flaming rounds of the Hunter's hand cannon.

"Keylian! Watch your back!"

Keylian looked behind him just in time to get rammed into a wall by a Fallen Captain. Back against the wall, he kicked out, the Captain staggering.

He attempted reaching for the hand cannon that rested on his belt, managing to get it out but having it knocked out of his hand when the Captain tried ramming him again.

Responding, he pushed all his weight into his shoulders, and charged into the Fallen warrior next to him; taking advantage of the opportunity now that the Captain's center of gravity was not in his legs.

The Captain tumbled over into the wall, and Keylian took the opportunity to reach for his hand cannon. He picked it up, and just as the Captain rose, he placed a round through it's helmet, igniting a spark of white essence that let out a shriek and then died down to quiet.

The other Fallen, noticing their commander had been killed, began to lose their resolve, until the next squad entered the fray. The Captain in their squad assumed control of the formerly leaderless Fallen squad.

A Servitor squeaked and buzzed as it floated over the entrance, it's Ether aura acting as a buff for its fellow Fallen.

Keylian looked around noticing his fellow Guardians had fallen.

A voice picked up over his comlink, saying: "All Guardians withdrawal from FOB Twilight; regroup at the City wall, this battle is lost, Guardians."

Keylian picked up a rock next to him in anger and threw it against the wall, a loud bang following.

He charged the other Fallen, a sphere of void light, a Nova Bomb forming in his hands. The Fallen opened fire, and Keylian grunted as each round ripped into his robes.

Just as he was about to launch his Nova Bomb, a sudden ripping pain spread through the side of his head, and he fell to the ground dazed, he cried out, and then he tried crawling away from the scene to no avail, and finally into unconsciousness.

OoO

When he awoke, he was bound to a wall, chains giving him some room to move but only a few square feet.

Keylian couldn't tell where he was, and he soon realized he was in a pickle. His Ghost was nowhere to be found, and he had been stripped of his robes until he was only in his bodysuit.

A few moment passed as he processed his situation, and then he tried to observe his surroundings. The walls were a creamy yellowish brown metallic that surrounded him in 5 sides, with the remaining side being an orange mesh layer.

From what he made of the cell he was in, he was in a Fallen ship of some sorts. And from the events earlier, he concluded the House of Devils had captured him.

'Great, my first day as a Vanguard and I'm captured by the Fallen. Just great...'

From inside the cell he could see a passing Fallen patrol usually made up of a Vandal with a shrapnel launcher and two Dregs with shock pistols and daggers.

They paid him no mind, and seemed to be stuck in the automaton patrol movement they had been following for The Speaker-knows-how-long.

Just then, one of the Fallen grunted, receiving a signal from it's comlink. From his 5 years of study in the Fallen tongue, he had become fluent in the language and could easily pick up what the Fallen Dreg replied.  
"We're approaching the Ketch as we speak. Yes. We have the Guardian in our hands. He's in the brig. Yes ma'am. Right away ma'am."

Ma'am? That was a surprise to Keylian. In all of the time he'd been a Guardian he'd never heard of a female partaking in the seemingly patriarchal hierarchy of the Fallen military. But that wasn't the biggest surprise to him, it was the tone in how he had addressed her, the Dreg seemed frightened, nervous almost as if he had made a wrong move, showed the slightest shard of uncertainty, his life would be quickly ended.

'She must have had a hard journey climbing up the ladder of power.' Keylian concluded.

The Dreg came over to his cell and undid the orange mesh layers inside his cell.

He let the Dreg bind him, the risk being captured and probably tortured from resistance too great. Not only was he unarmed, the binds cut off his ties to the Warlock Light inside him and he was beaten up and still recovering from the side effects of a concussion.

Outside, He saw he was in a Skiff that now entered the hangar bay of a Ketch, touching down softly.

The Dreg soon joined up with two other Vandals armed with energy staves, leading the Guardian down the hangar, where a gathering of Fallen warriors was located.

As they neared, the gathered Fallen skittered and clicked their mandibles, muttering their disapproval of his presence.

They pushed him into the ground while he was still bound and he gritted his teeth at their laughter.

"Enough!"

He looked up, searching for the source of the voice to see a tall Fallen Baron in front of him.

"This is the Warlock you say can speak Fallen?"

The female Baron was dressed in the crimson garb of the Devils, with a curvy figure, a whole foot and a half taller than him.

"What's it to you?," He replied, leaving a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm Kalikus. We've never encountered a Guardian who could speak Fallen before, but that isn't the point. We need your help. We need the Guardians' help."

"Why on Earth, would I help you bloody Fallen after that shit you pulled today on the City Perimeter?"

"Because, those were traitors. We defected from the other Fallen a few days ago, we made a decision to cease fire with you Guardians. We pulled out of the Cosmodrome, ending our operations there."

Keylian wasn't buying it. "I don't believe you, you mean to tell me, you're done with us in Old Russia, and pretty much with all Guardians in general, and now these traitors attacking in large numbers?"

The Baron lowered her head. "Following that command, a coup took place, the Kell got assassinated and an ambitious Baron who believed his Kell's orders were a load of shit, and said he was a coward for not going to war with the Guardians.

"Thus the rift occurred, those few that remained loyal to the Kell's last orders stayed here. The traitors siezed a Ketch and laid siege to the Firebase outside of the City on Earth. We took notice of this, and took it to our advantage. When you were captured, a traitor had knocked you out, and we found you laying on the ground. But you. You hold an opportunity for us. Speak for us. Tell the Guardians we want to help them, and In return we ask only for their help in ridding us of our traitors. Tell them we want peace. Tell them we only want to destroy this insurrection."

Keylian thought for a moment.

Of all the things he had expected the huge Fallen to say, he never in his wildest dreams ever imagined this to happen.

"Even if I did accept your proposal, it'd have to run through the Consensus. It'll be dead-on-arrival. For you to propose this isn't enough. I'm afraid no amount of begging and pleading can give you the help you require. I'm sorry. I will give them the proposal, but I don't expect it to be accepted. Maybe they will see some sense in it."

The Fallen lowered her head in defeat.

"I see," She paused, took a deep sigh, and continued, "I hope that your future does not worsen. Leave us."

The crowd parted, and a Vandal holding a box, made of iridium, came forward and opened up the box.

Daedalus came floating out, her white shell bearing a single black stripe.

"Take us back, Daedalus."

"Right away."

The process took a few seconds, but soon he was returned to his ship that lay in orbit over Earth.

"Keylian, what happened back there?"

Daedalus carried a bit of concern in her voice, and he knew when she was like this, he'd have to answer her directly. Or she'd be even more relentless in her questioning.

"The Devils sent a message to me. I'll leave it that for now."

She calmed down, luckily.

Soon, the orb of the Traveller welcomed them as they entered the City's walls, and landed in the Tower.

When he landed, a Hunter walked up to him and embraced him in a hug, her arms squeezing the air out of his lungs.

"Asaria... I can't...breathe..."

She quickly released him, and he took in a deep breath. Coughing, he got up, relieved his air supply was restored.

The blonde who greeted him smiled happily, happy to have her companion return.

"I'm so glad you've returned... I heard rumors, that you had been killed, that you had gone missing."

"Shhhh... I'm fine. I need to see Ikora as soon as possible."

Asaria and Keylian walked into the calm, quiet Vanguard Mentor room, where Ikora Rey was translating Hive runes, Cayde observing where the Cabal would attack Freehold next, and Zavala was reading the news on what the Vex had been up to.

Ikora took notice of him, and was delighted to have his presence.

"I heard you'd been killed in action, missing, captured. What happened?"

Keylian gulped. "I have made...significant progress."

Ikora took his meaning, and ordered the room to be cleared with the exception of the other two Vanguards, and Asaria.

"What happened?"

He took a moment to remember.

"It was at the battle. The Fallen were opening up an artillery barrage, and the Firebase couldn't handle to attack, the Main wall collapsed, and Fallen poured into the base. I tried holding them off, but it didn't work. I got called back, but just as I did, I just suddenly blacked out. Next thing I see, I'm in a Fallen cell. They took me to their Ketch. I saw one of their Barons.

"She said her name was Kalikus. She asked if I could speak Fallen. I replied in Fallen. She told me of how their has been a significant rift in the House. Their was a coup. The Fallen were getting ready to withdrawal from the Cosmodrome, on the Kell's orders. A Baron didn't like his order, and assassinated him, he took all those who didn't agree with the Kell's last order. About half of the House. They siezed a Ketch and now their whereabouts are unknown.

The Baron told me how she was among the others that followed his orders till the end. They realize the situation they're in, and now... They want peace with us."

Keylian let that last sentence sink in to the other people in the room, and then continued.

"The can't survive an attack against the traitor Fallen, and they want... Our help in taking down the other part of the House."

By the time he had finished, the other Mentors were in deep thought, and they got together to discuss what had just been unveiled.

When they broke apart, Ikora spoke up.

"You've done well Keylian. I will present this to the Consensus. Hopefully they will see some sense in all of this. For now, you can take a leave of duty, if you feel like it."

Keylian bowed to show his gratitude and left the room. Asaria seemed like she was going to ask him what it was that had just happened, but she didn't speak up. Instead, she walked off into the Tower, and Keylian took the time to leave the Tower to meditate in his apartment.

His meditations were not just a way of finding peace. He'd long been on the unstable side of the normal mental state. This was one of his ways of finding peace, and suppressing his demons temporarily.

He'd let himself loose, and a memory or a story that he'd visualize would appear in his mind. And he'd see it vividly.

Keylian let himself relax, and his mind displayed a different vision in his eyes. He visualized a scene from a text he read earlier about the Black Garden from an old Warlock named Pujari.

The Black Garden was in its usual state. Calm and dark, with a sense of evil looming over the place.

He took the form of another man, and the words of Pujari played in his head as he walked through the Garden.

"I am Pujari. These are the visions I had of the Black Garden.

"The Traveller moved across the face of the iron world. It opened the earth and stitched shut the sky. It made life possible. In these things there is also symmetry. Do you understand? This is not the beginning but it is the reason.

"The Garden grows in both directions. It grows in tomorrow and yesterday. The red flowers bloom forever.

"There are gardeners now. They can into the Garden in vessels of bronze and they move through the grove in rivers of thought.

"This is the vision I had when I leaped from the Shores of Time and let myself sink:

"I walked beneath the blossoms. The light came from ahead and the shadows from the flowers were words. At the end of the path there grew a flower in the shape of a Ghost. I reached out to pluck the flower and it cut me with a thorn. I bled and the blood was Light.

"The Ghost said to me: 'You are a dead thing made by a dead power in the shape of the dead. All you will ever do is kill. You do not belong here. This is a place of life.'

"'The Traveller is life,' I said. 'You are a creature of the Darkness. You seek to deceive me.'

"But I looked behind me, down the long slope where the blossoms tumbled in the wind and the great trees wept sap like blood or wine, and I felt doubt.

"When my Ghost raised me from the sea, there was a thorn cut in my left hand and has not healed since."

The vision of Pujari began to fade, and it's place, a battlefield emerged. A long and chaotic stretch of land, where Fallen guns pounded at the walls of a city. The wall gave way under the pressure and damage it had received and the Fallen began swarming inside much like the battle at Firebase Twilight. Before he could fully comprehend it, he returned to reality.

His thoughts were now muddled with the chaos of a long and drawn out battle.

Keylian looked out of his balcony at the sight of mid afternoon in the City. For the rest of the City, today was same as usual.

But for Keylian, he was the harbinger of a coming war. War was coming for the City, and they would be alone.

Or would they?


End file.
